Warning: This article contains discussion of domestic violence and child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
Police in California have described a ‘gruesome’ scene after a 28-year-old man was arrested following the death of his son.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office’s took to Facebook to share a press release of the incident which took place in North Sacramento County at approximately 4.15am on Saturday, December 21.
Officers were called to the scene on reports of a ‘family disturbance’, and were able to make contact with a woman outside the home on Versailles Way who told them that her husband, Andrey Demskiy, had assaulted her and her mother.
Police attempted to make contact with Demskiy, but he refused to answer the door. According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies then learned that inside the home with Demskiy was a one-year-old boy, who could have possibly become injured after being ‘thrown’ by his father.
Fearing for the child’s safety, police forced entry into the home and attempted to detain Demskiy, who was described as being ‘uncooperative’ and ‘physically resistive’.
Police were ultimately able to get Demskiy into custody, but when they looked further into the home they made what the Sheriff’s Office described as a ‘gruesome discovery’.
Inside the room where Demskiy had been contacted and detained was a ‘severed child’s head’. Later, the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Micha Demskiy.
The discovery prompted the arrival of Crime Scene Investigators and Sheriff’s Child Abuse Bureau Detectives, who work in murder investigations involving children.
After investigating the scene, the detectives claimed that Demskiy had been involved in a domestic violence incident with his wife and mother-in-law, which prompted the initial call to officers.
However, when the wife and her mom left the home, Demskiy is accused of having used a knife to behead and murder his son.
Amar Gandhi, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, described the alleged beheading as ‘one of the most horrific things’ he’s learned of.
Speaking to KCRA, he added that authorities were ‘visibly shaken’ over the incident.
“For this family who has got to pick up the pieces and go on — I mean, their world is shattered,” the spokesperson said.
A GoFundMe page has since been set up for the family which describes Micha as ‘a kind and joyful soul’.
“His kind heart and beautiful smile warmed the hearts of everyone he came in contact with. He loved his family and especially his mama,” the page reads.
After police arrived at the scene, the mother-in-law was transported to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Meanwhile Demskiy was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, where records show he has been charged with assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, corporal injury to a spouse of cohabitant, and murder.
The 28-year-old is ineligible for bail and is next scheduled to appear in court on December 24.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline on 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 24/7. You can find a list of local resources here.
